Icelandair is suspending its Belfast to Reykjavik flights from May for commercial reasons.

Services began operating three times a week last summer from George Best Belfast City Airport to the Icelandic capital.

The airline will launch new flights from Dublin next May.

The Belfast route was intended to offer convenient connections to the US and Canada and was hailed as a major boost for Northern Ireland's global connectivity.

A statement said: "Icelandair regrets to announce that the airline's direct flight service to Reykjavik from Belfast will be suspended from 15 May 2018 due to commercial reasons."

The flights were a co-operation between Icelandair and domestic carrier Air Iceland Connect and operated by a 72-seat Bombardier Q400 aircraft.

The final services between Belfast and Reykjavik will be on May 15.

The statement added: "We are sorry for any inconvenience caused with these changes.

"Icelandair continues to operate frequent services to London Heathrow, London Gatwick, Manchester and Glasgow in the UK, and has a direct scheduled flight to Dublin, Ireland, starting from 8 May 2018 and operating six times a week, year round.

"Customers due to travel after 15 May have the options of travelling to Reykjavik from Dublin, changing the date of travel or receiving a full refund."

Dublin airport does not charge Air Passenger Duty (APD) and the authorities in the Republic have said passenger numbers from Northern Ireland have soared.

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